Swan Lake is the jewel in the repertoire of the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the highlight of its London season in 2010. This is a revival of the historical Moscow staging in 1956 - an exquisite production with choreography by Alexander Gorsky and Asaf Messerer. The triumphal restaging of this Swan Lake at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in September 2009 was devised by Mikhail Messerer, the company’s ballet master in chief.

The epoch of Alexander Gorsky saw the next phase in the evolution of dance following the ballet classicism of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. This staging boasts the superb sets and costumes by the renowned Georgian theatre designer, Simon Virsaladze. The legend of a young prince finding his true love, a swan princess bewitched by an evil genius, offers all the dancers of the company a great opportunity to show their talents.

Giselle July 15 | July 16 |Making a welcome return to London is their beautiful two act ballet from the Romantic Era.

The stage life of Giselle wasn't an easy one. After the premiere of 1841 featuring Carlotta Grisi and Lucien Petipa, the ballet was performed in France till 1863, when it disappeared from the repertoire. Giselle was forgotten in its motherland but became frequently shown on the Russian stage. In 1842, the ballet was staged in St.Petersburg. At the beginning of the 20th century during the ground-breaking Diaghilev’s Russian Seasons, the French saw their national ballet, faithfully nurtured in Russia.

The Mikhailovsky Theatre’s 2008 production of Giselle by Nikita Dolgushin, a specialist in historical works, managed to amaze both the public and the critics. Dolgushin, a noble Albrecht in his time as a dancer, inspired the creation of the ballet and delicately united dance and classic mime. The choreographer revealed the essence of the romantic ballet: the story of Giselle is told in the language of ballet classicism. Together with Vyacheslav Okunev, who designed the epitome of romantic settings, Dolgushin created a production that was described by the Sunday Times as ‘an exemplary Giselle’.

Cipollino July 17 | July 24 |The UK premiere of this enchanting two act work popular with children and adults.

This ballet enchants you from its very first minute. The harmony of the melodic and ear-catching music by Karen Khachaturian, bright sets and costumes by Valery Leventhal and vivid choreography by Genrikh Mayorov, perfect both for children and for grown-ups, made it a real blockbuster. In London, an extra element is added: a narrator will deliver the storyline and introduce the characters. The fairy-tale story by Italian author Gianni Rodari tells of the adventures of the Little Onion boy (in Italian, Cipollino), who fights the unjust treatment of his fellow vegetable folk (his little girlfriend Radish, old Mr Pumpkin, handyman Master Grape) by the fruit aristocracy (foppish Prince Lemon, martinet Signor Tomato and Count Cherry. Even though the ballet was created especially for young people, it never lacks the “serious” choreography of classical ballet. The principals of the Mikhailovsky Ballet really enjoy themselves turning from Siegfrieds and Odettes into vegetables and fruits. The rhythms of dance, the portrayal and humour of the characters and the exceptional performances will keep everyone enthralled.

Laurencia July 20 | July 21 | London will be the first city in the world to witness this historical revival of the famous two act ballet, after a fifty year absence from stage, in a new full-length production created for the Mikhailovsky by Mikhail Messerer.

World Premiere of the revival based on Lope de Vega’s Fuente Ovejuna.Music: Alexander Krein, Choreography: Vakhtang Chabukiani, Production: Mikhail Messerer

The Mikhailovsky Theatre presents the revival of Vakhtang Chabukiani’s masterpiece Laurencia, based on the play Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega. Chabukiani was one of the first to create a new choreographic language by means of his own particular blend of folk dance and classical ballet. In his ballet to the tuneful music of Alexander Krein, Chabukiani asserted the importance of male dance, furthering in particular the notion of the “heroic” style. Laurencia was premiered of 1939 at the Kirov Theatre. Leading parts were performed by Natalia Dudinskaya (Laurencia), Vakhtang Chabukiani (Frondoso) and Tatiana Vecheslova (Pascuala). In 1956 the ballet was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre where Vakhtang Chabukiani partnered Maya Plisetskaya.

At their London debut in July 2008 in London this programme was greeted with countless curtain calls and critical appreciation. This season the Triple Bill programme includes Le Halte de cavalerie (Cavalry Halt) by Marius Petipa, giving the audience a second chance to see the light hearted classic gem created in 1896 to music by Ivan Armsheimer. A premiere created especially for the Mikhailovsky Ballet by Viacheslav Samodurov to music by Domenico Scarlatti. The Divertissements will crown the programme. They include Asaf Messerer’s breathtaking pas de deux Spring Waters to the music of Sergei Rachmaninov, staged by Mikhail Messerer and a pas de deux from Mikhailovsky’s exuberant production of Spartacus choreographed by Georgy Kovtun. It is a great opportunity to see both contemporary and classical ballets performed by true virtuosi.

Founded in 1833 and named after Grand Duke Mikhail, brother of Tsar Nicholas 1st, the Mikhailovsky Theatre is renowned for its ballet, opera and theatre productions. During its history the theatre has also been called the Maly Theatre with the famous Maly ballet being founded in 1933. In 1989 the Maly was again renamed, this time after the Russian composer Modest Moussorgsky. In 2007 the theatre got its original name back – the Mikhailovsky Theatre – and it celebrates its 175 anniversary in November 2008.

General Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre is Russian businessman and great patron of the arts Vladimir Kekhman. The restoration of the theatre cost over $25 million.

Ballet Master in Chief is Mikhail Messerer: Today considered one of the world’s finest ballet teachers, Mr Messerer was born into a great dancing family, in 1948, in Moscow, where he had his training, first at the Bolshoi Ballet School as a dancer and later at the State College of Performing Arts as a ballet teacher. He has for many years lived and worked in the West, and his method of classical ballet teaching amalgamates the best pedagogical traditions of both Russian and Western ballet.

As an International Guest Teacher Mr Messerer is invited by ballet companies around the world, and he has given master classes to American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet, Maurice Béjart’s Ballet, Monte Carlo Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Berlin Ballet, Munich Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Leipzig Ballet, Düsseldorf Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Ballet of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Rome Opera Ballet, Ballet of Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Florence Opera Ballet, Ballet of Teatro Reggiо in Turin, Ballet of Teatro Arena in Verona, Ballet of Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Göteborg Ballet, Cullberg Ballet, Chicago Ballet, Turkish State Ballet, Hungarian National Ballet and National Ballet of Marseilles, as well as to such schools as the Royal Ballet School and English National Ballet School in London, The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and the School of Teatro alla Scala.

For over twenty-five years Mikhail Messerer has been working as the Company Guest Teacher with The Royal Ballet of London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. With The Royal Ballet he has toured the USA, Japan, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Argentina, Italy, China, Russia, Norway, Singapore and Korea.

In May,2009 Mr Messerer was appointed Ballet Master in Chief of Mikhailovsky Theatre.

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